Linkblogging #5

Linkblogging is a monthly “go look” feature on Sequential State that I’m using to feature fun comic things aroundthe internet. There is a lot of great stuff to look at on the internet. Thestuff featured is just the stuff I’ve been looking at lately. If I missed yourthing, send me a message!

Crowdfunders:

Lots (and I mean LOTS) of projects to feature this month. If Kickstarter/IndieGoGo isn’t necessarily your favorite thing, jump to the next bold header (although I advise against that, naturally).

Iron Circus Comics (run by the formidable C. Spike Trotman) is publishing the collected The Less Than Epic Adventures of TJ and Amal omnibus by E.K. Weaver. The webcomic ran from 2009 to 2014, and previous volumes have been self-published by Weaver. $30 gets you a digital and paperback copy of the book. Iron Circus (Trotman) knows how to run a Kickstarter, having run the wildly successful Smut Peddler and Poorcraft series campaigns; this will be Iron Circus’ first third party book, and hopefully a sign of things to come.

Chainmail Bikini, an anthology celebrating women gamers is at nearly double its funding goal at the time of this writing with still 22 days before campaign finish. Edited by Hazel Newlevant newlevant, this anthology is a who’s who of indie comics creators, including Annie Mok, Aatmaja Pandya, Jane Mai, Molly Ostertag, MK Reed, Sophie Yanow, Mia Schwartz, and more. $25 for over 200 pages of comics.

Read/Listen to this thing:

Kris Mukai krismukai has started up a new podcast called Young Talk where Mukai and a guest read comics and react to them. The first episode’s guest is Laura Knetzger laurark, and the podcast is silly, heartwarming, and triumphant. I think it’s important when new platforms develop that feature artistic work. This podcast brought to my attention one really amazing comic and cartoonist whose work I had never read, and reminded me why I liked two others. If you want that kind of experience, this should be on the top of your list.

Mukai and Knetzger discussed the following comics *linked here and on the podcast’s page for your viewing convenience*

The Nib did a big feature called Whatever We Please for International Women’s Day which was March 8th, featuring the work of Sophie Goldstein redinkradio, Lucy Bellwood lucybellwood , Whit Taylor whimsicalnobodycomics, and other talented women. Thoughts on the c-word, vocal fry, the statistics on the disparities between men and women, and more.

News/Reviews/Oddities:

Yoshihiro Tatsumi passed away this week. Tatsumi’s manga opened my eyes to something “other,” and reading his work was probably a stepping stone to where I am now. Remembrances at TCJ, including those by Annie Ishii, Joe McCulloch, and Adrian Tomine. RIP.

If nothing else, here are 10 great webcomics for you to read, and some books to check out at the local library. Some things of note here – as a whole, the selected authors in both categories as an overall percentage are significantly less male than other lists of these types (at least it seems that way). Two books from Uncivilized, which is encouraging, given the size of the press. The competition for this prize ($1000 check for each category) is pretty stiff. Jillian Tamaki is the only creator on both lists – 2014 was a good year for comics, and 2015 will continue to be for Tamaki as a printed version of her webcomic SuperMutant Magic Academy is published by Drawn and Quarterly later this year.